Weight-loss surgery may be a better way to treat diabetes than traditional drug therapy alone, according to a study that found the operation was more likely to keep the chronic condition at bay for at least three years.

It uses a "tiny" wireless chip and a "miniaturised" glucose sensor embedded between two layers of lens material. The firm said it is also working on integrating tiny LED lights that could light up to indicate that glucose levels have crossed certain thresholds.

At the close of each year, we like to tap the top diabetes advocacy organizations to share what they feel they’ve accomplished, and what kinds of plans / goals / strategies they have in mind for the new year ahead.

The treatment of diabetes could be transformed by using nanotechnology to create a 'smart delivery' system that regulates glucose levels from within the body – effectively replicating the work of the pancreatic cells that produce insulin.

Nanomedicine is booming. And where better to focus research efforts than on a disease that affects the lives of more than 350 million people around the world – nearly 4 million in the UK alone – and which is on the increase: diabetes.